Wheel of Stargate: Dragon Growing Up
by Agent Blackhawk Carter
Summary: Part of the Wheel of Stargate series. Deals with Rand's childhood. One chapter equals one year. Rated T to be on the safe side might bring in some darker things in later chapters as Rand grows up.
1. Age Five

Okay, as promised, here's Rand's life growing up. If you are reading this and have not read _The Beginning_, go and read that first otherwise you'll be lost if you read any of these sequels. The chapters for this will vary in legnth, but each chapter will be one year of Rand's life. If there's any confusion about the story, just let me know via review and I'll do my best to address the issue. Happy reading!

I own nothing recognizable in this story.

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Janet Fraiser watched wearily as a five-year-old boy ran around the house, being chased by a four-year-old girl. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and looked up at the ceiling of her house.

"Why is raising kids so hard?" she demanded. As the boy came running by again she bent down and quickly scooped him up. "Rand, what have I told you about running in the house?" she asked.

"Um…don't do it while you're around?" he asked with an innocent look.

"No running in the house period young man," Janet corrected. "That goes for you as well Kira," she called after the little girl. She turned back to Rand. "Now is your homework done?"

"Yes Aunt Janet," Rand answered.

"Good. Now go on and wash up. It's almost dinner time." The two kids nodded and ran to the bathroom. Janet sighed and rolled her eyes, giving up. She walked into the study and smiled softly as she saw Daniel buried in books and papers. "It's almost dinner," she said. When he didn't look up she walked over to him and began rubbing his shoulders. He immediately stopped riffling through the papers and closed in eyes, a smile on his face.

"You wanted something?" he asked.

Janet smiled. "It's time to eat," she said. He nodded and rose to his feet, marking a page in a book before he closed it. "What are you working on this time?"

"I'm trying to find out more about that prophecy Jonas and Sam translated, but I'm not having any luck."

"You're worried about what the future holds for Rand, aren't you?" Janet asked.

Daniel nodded. "He's going to have to face the Dark One at some point in his life. Part of me just wants to hide him here on Earth for the rest of his life. If anything happens to him, I just feel like we'll have failed Jack and Sam."

Janet embraced him and looked into his soft blue eyes. "You know they'd never think that," she said. "Besides, we can't keep Rand here forever. He's not our son as much as we want him to be. I have a feeling he'll be too much like his parents when he's older. Hell, he's already like them."

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked.

"You think he listens to a word I tell him?" Janet asked.

Daniel slowly smiled and kissed Janet on the forehead. "So, what's for dinner?"

Rand lay curled up on his bed, the _Star Wars_ sheets and bedspread covering his small body. Tucked tightly under one arm was a worn looking Lucky stuffed toy from _101 Dalmatians_. He let out a whimper and began tossing and turning.

Janet came rushing into the room and pulled the thrashing child towards her. Rand woke up, his eyes wild with fear as tears streamed down his face. "It's okay Rand. It was only a dream," Janet soothed.

The small boy held tightly onto Janet, afraid to let go. "It…it felt real," he whispered, looking up at her.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Janet asked.

"Some…someone was…was hurting me," Rand said slowly, his voice trembling. "And I…I couldn't stop them and I was all alone and…" he began, his voice rising.

"Shhh…its okay Rand. You're not alone. I'm here…I'm here," Janet whispered comfortingly. She gently picked him up and sat on his bed. She pulled in into her lap and he rested his head against her. Janet reached down and pulled a blanket over him as he slowly fell asleep.

Janet looked up as Daniel walked quietly into the room. "Nightmare?" he whispered softly.

Janet nodded. "That's the third one this week. It was the same one too," Janet replied quietly. "I'm worried about him Daniel. Sam was a dreamwalker. From what Aviendha told me about them, they can see glimpses of the future."

"So?" Daniel asked.

"What if what he's dreaming about is his future? I know he's not our son," she said, "but he's close enough to it."

"Janet, he could be the Heir of the Dragon. If that's the case, then we have no control over what happens to him," Daniel said.

"I don't give a damn about any prophecy!" Janet hissed. "He's just a boy. He deserves a life that's his."

"We can't control him forever Janet. We will have to tell him about what really happened to Jack and Sam when he's older," Daniel said.

Janet sighed. "I know." Janet slowly eased herself out from Rand and kissed him gently on the head. The two adults slipped out of the room and closed the door.

"Uncle T!" Rand cried happily, throwing himself at the large Jaffa.

Teal'c patted Rand on the back as he hugged him. "You are growing very well Rand O'Neill," Teal'c said. "Happy Birthday.

Rand smiled and straightened. "I'm six now!" he said proudly. He looked past Teal'c and rushed over to a short woman. "Aunt Jenny!" he exclaimed.

Hailey bent down and swept the boy up and twirled him around. "You're getting big!" she said. "You'll be taller than me next year."

"No I won't," he said, rolling his eyes.

Hailey chuckled. "You're probably right. So did you have a party with your friends yesterday?" she asked as they walked over to Janet and the others.

"Uh-huh," he nodded. "I got the most candy from the pintata!" he said proudly.

"It's piñata Rand," Janet corrected with a smile.

"Oh," he said. He grabbed onto Teal'c's hand and tried to pull the large man towards the house. "Uncle T, you gotta see this game I got!" he begged, pulling Teal'c with all his might. Teal'c took a step forward. As he did so, Rand lost his grip and went sprawling into the grass. He jumped up and glared at Teal'c.

"My apologies," Teal'c said, bowing his head.

"Now you have to come and see my game," Rand said, folding his arms.

"Very well," Teal'c said and followed him inside.

Janet shook her head. "Why do I get the feeling he's going to give me more gray hairs than Kira?"

"Because he's Jack and Sam's son?" Hailey suggested.

"Good point," Janet said and the three adults laughed.

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So how was it? Good, bad, indifferent? Review! 


	2. Age Six

Two chapters in one day! Something must be wrong with me...actually I just want to get this story up ASAP so people don't get too confused...or it may already be too late for some...like me...ANYways, I'm probably not going to do a year a chapter. It's proving to be a bit too difficult and I'm running out of ideas. Plus I want to get Rand to his teenage years. Enjoy.

I own nothing recognizable.

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Rand sat alone in the corner of the classroom, absently drawing a picture as the rest of the class shared what their parents did. He looked over at the two empty seats and sighed, angry that Janet and Daniel had missed today. The bell rung and the kids gathered up their things.

Rand began walking home alone, his eyes staring at the ground. "Loser!" a few kids yelled as they ran past him.

Rand ignored them and continued to walk. As he crossed a street, a young college student fell instep beside him. "Hey kid," she said.

"Hi Cassie," he mumbled.

Cassie frowned. "You all right?"

"No," the six-year-old said.

"Something bad happen in school today?" Cassie pressed.

"They didn't show up!" Rand exclaimed angrily, blinking away tears. "They promised and they didn't show up!"

Cassie immediately put two and two together and realized something must have come up at the SGC. "I'm sure they wanted to be there Rand, but you have to understand they're not always going to be there." Her cell phone rang and she picked it up. "Hello? Hey General Hammond…" she began when she suddenly stopped in her tracks, her face etched in horror.

Rand turned back and frowned. "Cassie…?" he asked.

"The Academy Hospital, okay," Cassie said. "We'll be there in fifteen minutes." She put her cell phone away and grabbed Rand's hand; walking so fast he had to run to keep up with her.

"Where're we going?" Rand demanded.

"The hospital," Cassie said. "I'll explain once we get there," she said. They ran the rest of the way back to Janet and Daniel's house. Cassie paid the babysitter who had been watching Kira and quickly buckled the two kids in their child seats in Janet's car. Cassie slipped into the driver's seat and pulled out of the driveway, heading for the hospital. Kira looked at Rand.

"Where we going?" she asked. Rand shrugged.

Ten minutes later the car pulled into the hospital parking lot and Cassie jumped out. She unbuckled the two kids and pulled them out. She led them up to the hospital and stopped at the desk.

"Down the hall last door on the right," the nurse said immediately.

"Thanks Marge," Cassie said.

"How'd you know her name?" Rand asked, having never been at the hospital.

"Spent a lot of time here when I was growing up," Cassie answered absently. She led them down the hall and they walked into a private hospital room.

Daniel looked up from the chair he was in and rushed over to Cassie and the two children. Cassie hugged him tightly. "Thank god you got here so fast," Daniel said.

"Daddy…why is Mommy lying in bed?" Kira asked.

Rand ignored them and pushed himself up onto the chair to look at Janet. His eyes widened slightly at the amount of machines and tubes she was hooked up to. He could see a bandage poking out of the top of her hospital gown and he sat down on the chair, stunned that someone would want to hurt Janet.

"Who hurt her?" he asked, looking at Daniel.

"A bad man," Daniel said. "She was trying to help someone when the large bad man hurt her," he explained, glancing at Cassie.

"Will she be okay?" Kira asked, holding onto her father.

"The doctors aren't sure, but I am," Daniel said.

"Why?" Rand asked.

"Because we love her so much," Daniel answered.

"Daniel, why don't you get some rest? I can stay here for a while," Cassie said.

The archaeologist smiled in thanks. "Let me know if there's any change at all," he said. Cassie nodded and he left the room.

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Rand carefully walked up the steps and pushed open the door to Janet's room. It had been eight weeks since she had been released from the hospital. Dr. Warner had told Janet that if she had not been wearing the new vest inserts, she would have died. However, Rand and Kira had no knowledge of what Daniel and Janet did.

Rand carefully made his way around the bed and set the overburdened tray on the nightstand. He shook Janet and she opened her eyes, looking down at Rand. "Hey," she said, tenderly pushing herself up.

"Kira and me made you breakfast," Rand said proudly, pointing at the tray.

Janet looked down at the tray and saw misshapened chocolate pancakes, a glass of orange juice, syrup, and butter. She smiled and glanced up at Daniel, who was unsuccessfully trying to wipe flour from his glasses.

"Well thank you all," she said. "It looks very delicious."

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Rand walked into school, a smile on his face. He entered his classroom and sat down in his seat. Several of the bullies began whispering to themselves when the teacher walked in. She sat down and cleared her throat. The class quieted down and turned their attention to her.

"All right class. Now I know this is a bit late, seeing as how we did what our parents do for a living three months ago, but Rand's guardians weren't able to make it. Are you ready Rand?"

Rand leapt to his feet and all but ran to the teacher, a video in his hand. He handed it to her and she placed it into the VCR. An image of Janet lying in bed with Daniel sitting next to her appeared on the television screen.

"This is my Aunt Janet and Uncle Daniel. They take care of me because my parents aren't around anymore," Rand said.

"Can you tell us why your aunt and uncle couldn't come in?" the teacher asked.

Rand nodded. "My aunt is a military doctor and has saved lots of lives. And that's what she was doing when she got hurt badly."

"What about your uncle?"

"He knows almost every language in the world and is an…arch…arch…"

"Archaeologist?" the teacher supplied.

Rand nodded. "He's knows everything about ancient cultures and stuff." The teacher nodded and pressed 'play' on the VCR.

"So we were given the award of having the coolest jobs?" Janet asked.

Rand nodded. "The class also made you this," he said, pulling out a pile of get well cards from his backpack.

"Well tell your class that it was very thoughtful of them and I said thank you," Janet told him.

"I will," Rand said.

"Now off to bed young man," Janet said as he yawned. Rand nodded and went into his room. He changed into his pajamas and crawled under his covers, clutching his stuffed toy as he slowly fell asleep.

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Hoped you guys liked it. I think the next chapter will be Rand in his terrible teens. Not sure yet. Thanks for sticking with me! 


	3. Age Fourteen

Here's another chapter of Rand's history. I apologize if they're short, but that's the way the cookie crumbled...:sniffles: I knew the cookie well...

I realize this jumps ahead from him being six to him being fourteen, but he was a good little kid. His teen years might hopefully be more interesting...enjoy!

I own nadda in this story.

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Rand looked Janet and Daniel's photo album, looking at the pictures of his parents. He was fourteen years old and was tall for his age. He had shaggy blonde hair and was a bit gangly looking, but he had a handsome face. He had just started high school and was fitting in fairly well.

He turned the page and stopped, seeing his mother and father holding a newborn baby. Rand realized the baby was him and he rested his hand on the picture. He sighed sadly bowed his head, wishing his parents were still alive.

"Thought I'd might find you here Rand," Janet said. She still looked the same, though there were a few more gray hairs on her head. She walked over behind him and saw what he was looking at. "Your parents were very much in love with each other. They overcame a lot of hardships to be together."

"Why won't anyone tell me what happened to them?" he asked. "Every time I ask, I get shut down. I deserve to know Aunt Janet. I am their son. I have the right to know what happened to them."

"Rand, we will tell you when you're older."

"You always say that," he grumbled, shutting the album. He rose to his feet and walked away. Janet sighed wearily.

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Rand sat down on the park bench, his hands in his sweatshirt pocket. He watched the children play with their parents and sighed. "Well, well, well, look what we got here," a voice said.

Rand looked over and saw the neighborhood bullies smirking at him. "I'm not in the mood John," Rand said.

"I don't care," John replied. "No one beats me in anything freak." John suddenly punched Rand hard in the stomach. Rand doubled over in pain, holding his abdomen. "Get up wimp!" he shouted.

Rand looked up at John, his blue eyes blazing in anger. The sky suddenly darkened and a bolt of lightening shot from the sky and struck the tree five feet away from the bullies. They screamed like a girl would and ran away. As Rand rose shakily to his feet, he saw that the sky was clearing. He frowned in confusion and slowly made his way back home, his stomach still in pain.

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Several days later Rand was laying on his bed, sweating from a bad fever. Ice bags were on his forehead and wrists to try and bring the fever down, but they had no effect. Janet took the thermometer out of Rand's mouth and her eyes widened. Daniel saw her expression.

"How high?" he asked softly.

"One oh two," Janet answered. "If it doesn't come down soon, we have to take him to the hospital." She sighed and rubbed her head in frustration.

"What's wrong?" Daniel asked.

"He was fine yesterday. No hints of a fever, no nothing. Now he's running a high fever," Janet said. "I feel so helpless."

Daniel wrapped his arms around Janet. "He'll be okay," he whispered. "Rand's more stubborn than anyone we've met."

Janet smiled. "That's true. He'd give Sam a run for her money."

"Go get some rest. I'll keep an eye on him." Janet nodded and left the room. Daniel looked down at Rand and readjusted an ice pack on the teenager's forehead. "Hang in there Rand. You've almost beaten this."

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Rand opened his eyes and slowly sat up, blinking against the sun. "Morning," Kira said to him.

Rand frowned in confusion. "Morning?" he repeated.

"You've had a fever for the past three days," Janet said, feeling his head. "We were about ready to take you to the hospital when your fever broke." She straightened. "You gave us all a scare."

"Didn't mean to," he said.

"Anything unusual happen to you that might explain this weird fever?" Daniel asked, his arms folded over his chest.

"Nothing comes to mind…" Rand slowly said. "Wait! Last week when I stormed out on you," he said to Janet, "I went to the park. Some bullies were there and one punched me. Then out of the blue a bolt of lightening struck a tree. That's been the only weird thing," he said.

"I doubt lightening could've caused your fever," Daniel said, motioning to Janet to go to their room. "Breakfast will be on the table shortly." He and Janet walked out of the room and down to the kitchen.

"He channeled Daniel," Janet said immediately. "We both know it. Moiraine and the Wise Ones told us about the symptoms of someone channeling for the first time."

"I know Janet," Daniel replied. "But Rand came through it. Most likely this will be a once in a lifetime thing. We just have to keep an eye on him. If it happens again…" Daniel sighed. "If it happens again we'll talk to the Wise Ones." Janet nodded, her mind still running rampant with worry.

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Rand channeled for the first time:gasp: Hope you liked it. And if you're a nice person, you'll review. 


	4. Kira Interlude

Okay, I know this is suppose to be Rand's story, but I'm turning it into a bit of a Rand and Kira story, meaning that Kira might have some of her own chapters. Well enjoy.

I own nothing.

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Kira walked down the steps and went into the kitchen. She looked at her mother and father sitting at the table with a stranger. The stranger had reddish-brown hair with streaks of gray. The three adults turned as Kira walked into the room and looked at her.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked, glancing at her parents.

"We have to talk about something," Janet said.

"Sit down," Daniel said. "Do we have to worry about eavesdroppers?" he asked the woman.

She shook her head. "There is a ward to prevent that." She studied Kira as the thirteen year-old sat down.

"Kira, this is Aviendha," Janet said.

"An honor to meet you," Aviendha said. "I am here to teach you how to channel," she said.

"Channel? Like channel-surfing? I can do that," she said with a laugh.

"Kira," Daniel warned.

"Channeling is a bit different than what you are probably thinking of," Aviendha told Kira. She lifted her hand and a ball of flame appeared in her hand. "This is channeling," she said.

Kira's eyes widened. "Y…how are you doing that?"

"Magic," Daniel said. "Aviendha says you can do it as well. She's insisting on teaching you."

"What if I say no?" Kira asked.

"My people do not take no for an answer in this matter," Aviendha returned. "You will be trained."

"Will Rand find out about this?" Kira questioned.

"He must not know for now. The time will come when he will find out. For now you must keep this to yourself. No one must know," Aviendha said.

"But why do you want to train me?" the young girl demanded.

"Because you have the inborn ability to channel," Aviendha answered. "And you will either be trained by me or by the Aes Sedai."

"The who?" Kira asked.

"Kira, what we're about to tell you, you cannot repeat to Rand under any circumstances, understand?" Daniel asked.

She nodded. "I understand Dad."

"Before you or Rand were born…" Janet began.

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Kira sat in stunned silence several hours later. "You have got to be kidding me," she finally said. "Going to other planets is possible? And Rand's mother is from another planet?" she demanded.

"Interplanetary travel is possible," Janet confirmed. "Where do you think Aviendha is from?"

"Okay fine, but Rand's mother being half alien?" Kira asked skeptically.

"It is the truth," Aviendha confirmed. "Are you now willing to learn how to channel?" she asked.

Kira nodded. "I will learn. If learning how to channel can let me help people, then so be it."

At that moment Rand walked in, went to the fridge, grabbed a can of Pepsi, and walked out without so much as a word. "Social boy," Aviendha muttered.

"Would you like to say hello to him?" Janet asked.

Aviendha shook her head. "No. I must leave soon, but I would like to give Kira her first lesson." She stood and led Kira into the basement.

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I apologize for the shortness of these chapters, but that's the way the voices demand them. 


	5. Age Sixteen

Another chapter. I apologize for the delays, but this proved to be a bit more difficult to write than I thought. Almost done with it though. On with the fic.

I own nothing in here that is recognizable.

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Rand finished changing out of his martial arts uniform into his street clothes. He slung his pack onto his back and walked out to his car. His boots crunched in the snow as he hit the remote button on his car. He opened the door and slid into the seat of his Mustang and started the engine. He pulled out of the parking lot and drove back to Janet and Daniel's house.

He pulled into the driveway and got out, locking his car up. He trudged up the snow-laden steps and walked inside after kicking the snow off of his boots. He closed the door and hung his coat up on the coat rack next to the door.

"I'm home!" he called. He frowned when no one answered him and walked into the TV room. He saw Janet with tearstains down her face, holding Daniel's hand. Rand looked over and saw that Kira was crying as well.

"What's up?" he asked, slowly setting his bag down.

Daniel sighed heavily and looked at him. "General Hammond…Uncle George died last night in his sleep."

"Uncle George is dead?" Rand asked, the sadness evident on his face.

"He lived a long life," Janet said. "The funeral is tomorrow. There will be some people that Uncle George knew coming in from way out of town. If they seem a little strange don't say anything, all right?"

Rand and Kira nodded. "Is Uncle T gonna be there?" Rand asked.

"Yeah. Get some rest if you can. The wake will be here," Daniel said. Rand and Kira nodded and they walked up to their rooms.

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"I wish Jack and Sam could've been here," Hailey said. "Wasn't the same without them."

"So they're transferring you to the SGC?" Daniel asked Cameron.

He nodded. "I'm being promoted to Major General. I just hope I can live up to a guy like General Hammond. He was a great man." Daniel glanced over and saw an older man walking up to Rand.

Rand looked at him and folded his arms. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Just wanted to meet you," the man said.

"Who are you?" Rand inquired, picking at his suit.

"My name's Jacob Carter. I'm your grandfather."

Rand stared at him. "My grandfather? Are you serious?"

Jacob nodded. "I'm serious Rand."

"So why show up now? I haven't seen you my whole life."

"I've been away with work. But when I heard George had died…well let's just say I figured life is too short."

"So you show up for your friends funerals but not your own family's?" Rand demanded, walking away.

Jacob followed. "I tried to get in for Mark and his family's funeral after that plane crash, but I couldn't. I'm sorry, okay?"

Rand shoved his hands in his pockets and Jacob was reminded of Jack. "Sorry," Rand muttered.

"Don't worry about it Rand. It runs in the family," Jacob said with a smile.

The corner of Rand's mouth quirked up. "That's what I've been told." They stood in silence for several minutes. "So…um…could you tell me about my Mom?"

Jacob smiled. "I can do that. Got somewhere where we can talk?"

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Sorry for the shortness, but mind is fried. Reviewing returns mind... 


	6. Age Sixteen II

Here's a second part to the last chapter. After I posted the last chapter this came to me (my muse thinks it's funny or something). Hope ya like it and sorry for the shortness. :cowers:please don't kill me!

I got nothing.

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Rand sat down on his bed and motioned for Jacob to sit down in the computer chair. "So kid, what did you want to know about your mother?"

"Just…what she was like. Was she mean, nice, a brainiac, stuff like that."

"She was a wonderful woman," Jacob began. "Loyal to her friends and never accepted defeat. If there was a slim possibility of a solution, she found it."

"So when did she meet my father?"

"Just after she was transferred to Cheyenne Mountain from the Pentagon."

"Where she worked on top secret stuff," Rand finished.

Jacob nodded. "Yeah. Ever wonder what they do in there?"

Rand shrugged. "Yeah. I think it has to do with deep space, but not radar telemetry. I'll find out one day though."

Jacob nodded. "All things come to those who wait."

Rand looked up as Kira poked her head in. "Uncle Jonas is here. Thought you'd like to know."

Rand nodded. "I'll be down in a few minutes." Kira nodded and left. "Can you tell me anything else about my mom? Like how she and my dad got together?"

Jacob smiled. "I can't go into all the details, mostly because I don't know them all, but your mother certainly put Jack in his place when they met…"

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Rand walked downstairs then turned and hugged his grandfather. "Thanks Grandpa," he said.

"No problem kiddo. Here's my number for when I'm in town. But if it's serious and you ever wanna talk when I'm not around, Daniel and Janet know how to get a hold of me," Jacob said.

Rand nodded and walked through the hallway into the TV room. "Uncle Jonas," he said, walking to a middle aged man with streaks of gray in his hair.

"Hey Rand," Jonas said, smiling. The two shook hands. "How've you been?"

"Pretty well. How about you? Staying out of trouble?"

Jonas laughed quietly. "Doing my best. Colonel Hailey can be a tough leader. She takes after your parents."

Rand grinned. "Well they were her COs for how long?"

"Good point. Any thoughts on what you wanted to do once you get to college?"

Rand shrugged. "Not sure. Probably won't be going into the military. It's not my thing. Might go into Asian or Native American studies. I love their cultures with the whole spiritual aspect." Jonas nodded and the two continued to talk for the rest of the afternoon until the wake was over.

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I'll try to make the other chapters longer, but no promises. 


	7. Daniel's Fate

Well, here's the last chapter for this prequel. I'll try to get Sam's story up but I haven't been motivated to start it yet. Reviews will help with it.

I own nothing.

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"Rand, you got all your homework for your classes done?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah. I'm gonna be hanging out with some friends after my classes are over, so I should be home from college late," Rand said.

Daniel nodded. "All right. Call when you're on your way back." Rand nodded and left. Daniel walked outside to the backyard and opened a book on Greek mythology. As the warm sun beat down on him, he slowly drifted asleep…

"Wake up Daniel," a voice said.

Daniel opened his eyes and found himself in a torch lit room that he recognized. "How'd I get on Kheb?" he asked.

A glowing ball of white light appeared and turned into a beautiful woman. "You are still on Earth; only your spirit has returned to Kheb."

"Oma," Daniel said. "What are you doing here?"

"The time has come for you to embrace your destiny Daniel."

He frowned. "My destiny?"

"It is up to you to train the Heir of the Dragon," Oma said.

"Heir of the Dragon?" Daniel asked. His eyebrows shot up. "You mean Rand?"

Oma nodded. "You must teach him to channel when the time comes."

"Channel? I can't channel. Even if I could, there's that little matter of _saidin_ being tainted," Daniel said.

"It is no more tainted than _saidar_," Oma replied. "You must do this Daniel. The entire galaxy is depending on him."

"For what?" Daniel demanded.

"Survival," Oma answered.

Daniel ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Rand's just a kid. "He just turned nineteen."

"Destiny does not choose the age of the chosen person," Oma said.

"He'll die. Hell, I'd rather die than let him face this."

"Death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain," Oma told him. "We do not always like what destiny and fate has in store for us."

Daniel sighed and sat down on the floor. "What do I have to do?"

**END**

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Hoped you liked it. Keep an eye out for the Sam's story and for the conclusion of _Dragon Rising._


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